A PROJECT-BASED CAPSTONE ENGINEERING DESIGN COURSE FOR ASSOCIATE DEGREE MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS

All the associate degree mechanical engineering technology (2MET) students at The Pennsylvania State University, Altoona College are required to take a capstone engineering design course during their fourth semester in the two-year degree program.This project-based three credit-hour course is titled "Product Design with Writing Skills" (MET 210W).In this course students are taught design and selection of spur gears, shafts, helical compression springs, chains and sprockets, keys and fasteners, through teambased assignments and mini projects.These activities prepare students for the major design project to be conducted near the